ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART TO DISPLAY WORKS OF

FRANK GIORGINI WITH NEW SPRING EXHIBITION

ALBANY, NY—On Saturday, April 14, the Albany Institute of History & Art will open PLAYING WITH CLAY: Frank Giorgini’s Udu Drums, Tile Murals and More. This is the Albany Institute’s fourth exhibition of the spring season that explores the world of ceramics. 

Playing with Clay: Frank Giorgini’s Udu Drums, Tile Murals, and More will feature the work of local ceramist Frank Giorgini, who has helped revive a traditional Nigerian clay drum. The long process began in 1974, when Frank first learned of the Udu drums at a ceramics workshop in Deer Isle., Maine. (Udu means pot or pottery and also peace in the Ibo language, referring to the pot like shape of the drum.) He has since renewed interest in the African instrument and has produced drums for jazz and rock musicians including Miles Davis, Sting, and Paul Simon. Giorgini also creates custom tiles and has received commissions from the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority to design and install his tiles in selected subway stations. In addition to his Udu drums and tiles, the exhibition will include a selection of Giorgini’s sculptural works, also molded from clay.

Playing with Clay complements the three other ceramic exhibitions currently on view and continues the Albany Institute’s investigation of the history, art, and culture of ceramics in the region. PAUL CUSHMAN: The Work and World of an Early 19^th Century Albany Potter, CLAY CONNECTIONS: What Ceramics Tell Us and CONTAINING HISTORY: Contemporary Ceramics From Regional Potters, will be on display through May 27. PLAYING WITH CLAY: Frank Giorgini’s Udu Drums, Tile Murals and More will remain on view through August 12.

Images are Available On Request

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